In conventional brush seals, the free ends of the bristles fastened in a bristle housing having a cover plate and a supporting plate extend against a sealing surface of the rotor or stator and thus seal off the annular gap between rotor and stator. With a good sealing effect and in a conventional arrangement, axial construction space can be saved with such brush seals compared with seals which can be used as an alternative, such as labyrinth seals, for example when used in stationary gas turbines or aircraft engines. The bristles of the brush seals can be set in the direction of rotation of the rotor at an angle of, for example, 40° to 50°, in order to permit a smooth, radial deflection of the bristles upon contact with the rotor. On account of the set bristles, reliable functioning in the event of incorrect installation of the brush seal, i.e., the brush seal is inserted in the incorrect orientation into its seat on the stator or rotor and the bristles are set against the direction of rotation of the rotor, is not ensured, since the bristles can partly bend to a considerable extent. The brush seal is held in its seat on the stator or rotor with a press fit in order to prevent rotation during operation. The press fit may prove to be critical with regard to the material loads, in particular in the case of large external dimensions of the bristle housing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a brush seal with which correct, anti-rotation installation is ensured when the brush seal is assembled, for example, in a housing. The brush seal thus improved is to be produced, where possible, without additional manufacturing steps.